Waiting
by ChurchRoofGirl
Summary: A full-length about the young Princes William and Harry. Lots of people and Harry's sixth sense!
1. Chapter 1

Waiting

_For all of you who like _A Royal Story_, here's _Waiting_, about the young Prince William and Harry! Hope you enjoy. This chapter starts with Will aged nine, and Harry aged seven, on holiday at Balmoral with Charles, Diana, the Queen, Prince Philip and horses! (Technically, on the plane)._

"It's exciting, isn't it?" whispered Diana, squeezing Will's arm, "My little prince. Do you want more juice?"

"Thank you mama, but I'll get it myself," he said, absently. Diana smiled approvingly. Will walked up the aisle into the front of the plane. He pulled the lever on the drink machine and stared at the door past him. 'HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh' the plaque read. Will looked around quickly, and reached into a cupboard above the kitchen counter. He drew out the parcel, and grabbed some notepaper.

_Dear Grandma,_

_Happy birthday from the whole family!_

_Lots of love,_

_Wombat xxxxx_

He dropped it outside the door, knocked twice, grabbed his juice and ran.

"Did you deliver it?" whispered Charles as Will passed.

He nodded.

"Good boy. Oh, Harry wants something from the luggage. Would you, Wombat?"

"C'mon, Wombat!" yelled Harry, pulling on the car door release. He lunged out and ran up the drive. Will smiled and followed, slower and calmer, taking in the beautiful gardens on all sides. Then he looked at the manor in front of him, wide, tall and imposing. He loved coming to Balmoral on holiday, with the enormous hills and the fact that he was practically encouraged to stay out of everyone's way. But best of all, his horse! It might have seemed soppy for a boy to love a horse so much, but Will didn't really care. He smiled, and turned down the path to the stables. He could see them at the end of the path. He began to run.

Then, he stopped. He tiptoed through the middle, glancing at the tall mares, lean stallions, and fat, hay-munching ponies. There, right at the end! Veritas, the sign above the stable read. "Truth!" breathed Will, and the handsome bay gelding looked up.

Will checked his watch. He just had enough time for a ride!

Will led Veritas back into the stable. He hooked his hat over his wrist and let himself into the house by a side door. He came into the hall. It was empty and silent, with shafts of light illuminating dust. Will grinned. It was late afternoon, he noted, looking at the clock, and nearly time for tea. He sidled into the parlour, which was on the opposite side of the hall, and was surprised to find a table, fully laid with a small feast, but no one in the room. He was looking around, bewildered, when Philip popped out from behind a piano. "Hello, boy! We're holding a surprise birthday tea for your grandmamma. Harry's behind the sofa- aren't you, boy?"

There was a muffled squeak from behind the sofa. Will crouched next to him.

"What is this...Jones, come back!" it was his Grandmother's voice, no doubt. Harry nudged him.

"SURPRISE!"

Will jumped up to see his grandmother laughing heartily- a rare sight. "My goodness! Well, you really didn't have to do all this, now- Philip, dear!" Philip quickly joined her and escorted her to the table. Pretty soon the whole party joined them- Harry, Will, Charles...and Diana. She was wearing a pastel blue dress, black high heels and her opal necklace- Will's favourite. She curtseyed and smiled. "Many happy returns of the day, your Majesty," she said, in that quiet way. Will looked up at her adoringly. She was perfect. Everything was perfect. Then Charles and Diana's eyes met across the table, and Will remembered...

_Flashback_

"_You've been seeing her again, haven't you?" screeched Diana, storming into the living room, clutching the week's magazines. Will was sitting on the floor, drawing pictures with Harry. Will's hand paused over the page, but he didn't look up. "No! I mean...that's one picture of me with one woman-"_

"_ONE WOMAN?" She screamed, "THE SAME BLOODY WOMAN IT ALWAYS IS!"_

_Will finally looked up. His mama was red-faced and tearstained. His dad was dejected- beat. Will silently stood up and led Harry out. They left the room to a raging argument. Harry leaned close to him and whispered, "Wombat, will you tell me a story?"_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Will put his fork on the table. He didn't feel hungry any more.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Bedtime

Will always loved bedtime at Balmoral. It was dark quickly up there, and the wind would howl in the trees. He felt like he was in _Wuthering Heights_. He and Harry stood at the enamel sink, brushing their teeth. They spat at the exact same time, prepared the mouthwash in unison, and gargled the same tune- _Ten O'clock News_. They spat again, replaced the bottles of mouthwash and traipsed off to bed. Diana came in and said, "Boys, you may read for ten minutes, then go to bed." As she turned to go, Will winked at Harry.

"Did you get them?" whispered Harry.

Will nodded, reached under his bed and drew out a sports bag- full of Harry and Will's comics and books. "Pass me _The Beano_!" squealed Harry, pink with delight.

Diana came in a little later. "Goodnight, boys, God bless."

She came over and kissed them both. Will noticed the smell of perfume, stronger than before. She always put perfume on when she'd been arguing. "Mama," he whispered, "who's Camilla?"

Will could hear her sigh. "We will talk about it in the morning, William. Goodnight."

Light streamed through the open window in Will's room. His alarm clock was ringing. He smashed a lazy hand on top and sat up. "Morning, Wombat!" said Charles, strolling into the room with some clothes, "The Mother's downstairs, serving breakfast. There's bacon- but Uncle Andrew's waking up so I'd run downstairs quick!" Will smiled as Charles exited. Harry's head popped up from under the duvet. "What's that about bacon?"

After breakfast, Will found a room on the third floor that consisted only of a table, and he sat himself there to do his holiday homework. Ludgrove demanded a lot of its students, and over that holiday he had to complete six pages of maths problems; translate a page of French; write out the whole 'D' section of his Latin dictionary and write a three page essay on the life of Thomas More. He'd just finished the maths when his dad came in. "Hey, Wombat! I've got the fishing gear! Want to go down to the river?" Will looked down at his homework. A pile of books cast a shadow on the table. "OK," he muttered.

"I've got big news," said Charles.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The river flowed smoothly past Will's eyes. He lay on his front on the bank, hands pushing apart a clump of long grass. His dad heated baked beans on a small stove behind him in the tent. "What was the big news?" said Will, finally.

"You know...the boys...who were..." his dad trailed off and Will remembered.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Oi! Wombat!" Will froze. It was them again. Oh God. He spun around to see him- a tall boy, in his last year at school, 13. Will smiled. "Hi! Hello. Hello again."_

"_Wombat! How's Camilla?" Will twinged. "I said, HOW'S CAMILLA?"_

_He was bellowing now. Tears sprang into Will's eyes. "Gonna cry? Boo hoo! Little rich prince! The future king, a crybaby! What a hoot!"_

_Will ran into the building and into the toilets. He knew he couldn't hide there forever...they would be in his dorm..._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"Anyway, I've spoken to the school and they've left this year, and you're changing dorms."

Will looked round sharply. "Changing dorms?" Everyone at Ludgrove knew that the only spare dorm was Dormitory XVI- or the Mad Sixteen. "No. No. No. You can't. Please, dad! They're all crazy there."

"It's that or your old dorm, and you don't want that. Anyway, they're probably really nice. Now, I need to have a chat with you." Charles sat up, "A chat. Man-to-man."

"Dad, they've covered it in school!"

"What I was going to say was...well, when your grandmother...dies...I will be king, and you will be the Prince of Wales, like I am, now. Yes?"

"Yes. I know."

"And when I die...you will be king. And when that happens you will need a wife to be your queen. Now, grandpa isn't King Philip because of an old sexist law that says when the Queen is abroad, if there is a king with her, there will be confusion as to who is the monarch and who is the consort. But your mama will be Queen Diana, the Queen Consort. Your great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, was a queen consort. And your wife will be, too. And you will have to have children, to stop Harry being king. He's a lovely boy, but not really cut out for being king. You, however, will be King William. You will make a very good king."

"Don't think so," said Will, "I'm nine years old, and I'm scared of a dormitory. Doesn't sound like a very good king to me..."

Charles sat next to him and looked him in the eye. "Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. I named you so you would have a good king's name, William; to be associated with a great story of bravery, Arthur; after my father, who fled his home country, never to see his siblings again, Philip; and for there always to be a bit of French bravery in you, Louis. Now, I don't know about you, but I think you've always lived up to that. You are a royal, Will, and royals don't take things lying down. What is the Wales motto?"

"Ich dien."

"And whom do you serve?"

"Her majesty!"

"And why do you serve her?"

"For she is the Queen, a lady, and my elder, and I am but a lowly prince, humbled by her honourable presence on the throne!"

It was an old tradition, handed down through the generations of Princes of Wales, and Will suspected that every Prince of Wales and their sons felt embarrassed, standing at the school gates and reciting it. But it gave something for Charles and Will and Harry to share. There were plenty of little traditions like that: when Philip and Harry met in one of the Queen's houses, they would bow to each other and Harry would say, "How is her majesty?"

"She is in good health and happy to see the day."

"And how are you?"

"I am happy her majesty is happy."

Anyway, Will sat back and watched the river. As he did, he considered the pros and cons of Ludgrove. Pro: A lovely setting- Berkshire was great for horses. Con: Not allowed out except under the supervision of the sadistic Mr North. Pro: Posh kids who _got it_. Con: Posh kids, who hate the royals and, it turns out, _don't_ care about the Princess of Wales's next charity event. Pro: Good food. Con: Being tripped over in the canteen by Thomas Hill-Mountain. Pro: Maths. Con: Pupils who hate geeks.

Will could have gone on.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sos for the wait! Stick with me, bambinis!_

Chapter 4

School

"Five minutes now, your highnesses," murmured the chauffeur.  
>"Thank you, Carl," replied Charles. Will closed his eyes and made a silent prayer. How was he going to survive this year? Dorm XVI was almost worse than the bullies. He didn't have any friends at school; Harry was a few years below him and they rarely met, except in staged photocalls, where Will had to smile a winning smile and Harry had to look naughty. His previous dorm room, Dorm V, was cold and lonely. The boys had gradually pushed him back into a shadowy corner, right underneath a constant leak that made him feel permanently cold and damp. He was on the other side of the only window, so he never got any light, and the atmosphere in the dorm was that of resentment. He hated it.<p>

The car suddenly swept round the corner and into the cosy cocoon of trees that blocked off all the sounds of the main road. The sweeping and meandering drive of the school was laid out in front of them, about half a mile long. At the very end was Ludgrove. Even though Will hated the boys, he felt a swell of pride on seeing _his school_. "Ludgrove," he breathed.  
>"What's that?" said his dad.<br>"Nothing."  
>"Oh. Are you looking forward to it?"<br>Will shifted uncomfortably. "S'pose."

Mrs Haitefirth was Will's matron. She was the Third Form matron, and a strict matriarch. "William!" she cried across the entrance hall. All the other boys bidding their parents farewell looked round. He blushed. As he walked through the resentfully parted crowd, a few people bowed to his dad. They stopped in front of the headmaster, Dr James Slater. "Your Royal Highnesses. I trust you arrived well?"  
>Charles stepped forward. "Yes. Quite well. Is the dormitory prepared?"<br>The silence in the room was unbearable.

The corridor that ran through the dorm was dark. Heads poked out of doors as Will moved down. "Good luck!" someone said.  
>"Yeah, <em>good luck<em>, _Your Highness!_"  
>Laughter and jeering followed him down the hall. He stopped outside Dorm XVI. He raised a fist. Nobody spoke. Nobody breathed. The boys shrank back into their dorms, but still peered at him. He knocked, three times. It sounded unbearably loud, like a cannon. The pause was only a few seconds long, but it felt like several minutes. Then, a little hatch at eye height opened and a trickle of smoke flew out. A pair of eyes squinted through the gloom of the corridor. "Yeah?" said a gruff voice.<br>"Th...this is my dorm. C...can I come in?"  
>"Whass'yer name, lad?"<br>"William."  
>"'Sat Prince William?"<br>"Yes."  
>"An' you're ach'ally 'im, yeah?"<br>"Yes."  
>"Y'd best come in, then."<br>The door opened and Will was pulled in. The door closed and darkness fell.

**Reviews=rainbows. Rainbows=unicorns. Unicorns=free cornettos**


End file.
